First, though I'm no longer a practicing Mormon and have not been for more than 20 years, and though the book does delve into some controversial aspects of Mormon history, I'm not here either to critique or defend the faith, only to offer a small glimpse into the lives of its mysterious, cleancut, wide eyed young missionaries. Second, though you'll hear depictions today of certain criminal activities, I'm not here to glamorize, condone, or defend them.
they have done that can be. Every Mormon family is advised, even instructed-- I mean, it's not a matter of faith. You don't have to do it.
And I spent time with Mormons in Utah. The Mormons actually rate, statistically, as the happiest people in America. And but actually what makes this slightly more complex is that they also have the highest rate of anti-depressant use.
Examples, please.' Hands shoot up, though not Astair's, followed by a clatter of voices. 'Catholicism,' 'Mormonism,' 'Judaism,' 'Islam,' 'party affiliation,' 'sexual orientation,' 'racial bias,' 'scientific method,' 'trbal ritual,' 'taboo.' 'Good. Religious rubrics, political praxis, clan morals, parental jurisprudence, gender habits.
And we could talk about that for hours. I did "Book of Mormon " and I did a tap dance.
I did find some pictures from inside there amazingly. But the Mormon archives were built in this bunker and the goal was to keep the water out. And all of those drawers that were in that last slide, all the bottom ones they don't keep filled because it's
Honestly I started wanting to write about being a missionary almost as soon as I became a missionary. We probably all picture Mormon missionaries as an army of interchangeable young men in white shirts and ties trudging endlessly from one porch to the next with a holy book and an urgent message from God.
with a holy book and an urgent message from God. Even growing up Mormon this was pretty much how I always envisioned mission life would be-- holy young men walking with the Holy Spirit, testifying boldly, and saving souls. It wasn't until I turned 19 and was pressed into service myself that I discovered a more colorful reality.
You don't have to do it. But most Mormon families keep a supply of three months worth of food and water in the house, three months worth. It's easier to do, obviously, when you live in a rural community.
But some folks with significant net worths have decided to pledge, literally on a dotted line, to give away 50% of their net worth over their lifetime. Maybe you're a Mormon and you tithe 10%. If you're like most Americans, you give away 2.5% roughly on average each year.
And immediately everybody looked at me like, what do you mean, who is this? She's Lady Mormont. And it was very-- it was an incredibly intense audition.
Bishop cleared his throat. If Alvarez wore his Mormonism like an elegant suit, then the bishop wore his like an accountant's green eyeshade and sleeve garters. I was just pointing out to the elder here that he can't play music under 100 years old.
And they just called in favors basically. I knew Casey from "Book of Mormon ." And I knew Nell Benjamin, who was lyricist, and she called me. And then a bunch of people from "Kimmy Schmidt" were there reading because they were working on the TV show at the time.
I want to live in a positive, awesome place because it has the potential to do incredible things for humanity. You're watching "The Book of Mormon ." And you're just sitting actually on the stage.
generally. And when I went to spend time with Mormons in Utah that was a huge finding. I was staying with a Mormon family and we were sitting there for half an hour in their living room. And I think 10 different people stopped by for drop off some cookies or a cup of tea-- not a cup of tea, they don't drink tea,
in many ways decide what they would choose to do on their own. And you talk about what the Mormon community has done to prepare for some scenario like this. Yeah, I spent three days in Salt Lake City talking to the leadership of the Mormon Church.
They were so sweet. It's like you're a Mormon and you believe, but you've got nine wives.
And on the last day of summer 2006, it was September. He was back from his Mormon mission doing the spiritual work to go back again. And he was driving at 6:30 in the morning on a mountainous road through the northernmost county of Utah.
All writers and readers knew that human beings had broad identities, not narrow ones. Now read the real Book of Mormon .
San Francisco uh and if it's achievable for you to do it we believe we can do the same up in San Francisco by being interestingly has come from the Mormon church I don't know why but the Mormon
maximize people's happiness. And that was a very strange place to be. And I spent time with Mormons in Utah. The Mormons actually rate, statistically, as the happiest people in America.
It is amazing. I don't want to suggest to you that they've done it because they think there's gonna be an attack on the power grid. They've done it because Mormons have been driven from pillar to post for the past 200 years, being driven from New York to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Illinois, and finally out to Salt Lake City.
Now, regretfully, I didn't say a word. So after-- I ended up going on a Mormon mission. And after about a year and a half, I received a phone call from the Salt Lake City Gang Unit, implicating me as the mastermind of a retaliation
But if I'm right, I'm going to make 50 times my money. was a-- actually he was an archbishop in the Mormon church at one point.
I spent the next decade in megachurches and mosques and Mormon temples.
All writers and readers knew that human beings had broad identities, not narrow ones. the show's producers invited some of the elders of the Mormon church to come and see the show right at the beginning.
It was a highly publicized case. As a BYU football player, as a returned Mormon missionary, they really wanted to throw the book at me. And there was no evidence.
And we could talk about that for hours. No, I did "Book of Mormon " before this.
So you can choose where water wants to go. This was the last picture they let me take before going into the Mormon Genealogical Archives outside of Salt Lake City. I did find some pictures from inside there amazingly.
with the language. And "Book of Mormon " might be breaking the mold a bit or that the music in "Hamilton" might be breaking the mold a bit.
wrote "Frozen," and her husband Bobby Lopez who did "Avenue Q" and "Book of Mormon ." They are like royalty on Broadway, right now.
And then our friend Christopher Rice-- who is in "The Book of Mormon " on Broadway-- was such a good sport and he came out.
more short excerpts, though, I want to offer two disclaimers. First, though I'm no longer a practicing Mormon and have not been for more than 20 years, and though the book does delve into some controversial aspects of Mormon history, I'm not here either to critique or defend the faith, only to offer a small glimpse into the lives of its mysterious, cleancut, wide eyed
Relations between me and the domineering Elder Dedman are tense in the extreme. Brother Alvarez, an assistant to the local Mormon bishop has noticed this and asked Elder Dedman and me to participate in the Christmas program at church on Sunday-- him by giving a talk, me by performing a special musical number.
group at Yeshiva University which essentially looks like the cast of Book of Mormon and that your group would go on
If any of you have listened to the cast recording of "Book of Mormon ," it's a bit of a shock initially.
studio apartment in Van Nuys getting off on pretending to be a 28-year-old Mormon woman from Salt Lake expecting her third baby on June 14th, it didn't seem likely. And even
And you know, most people in Utah are Mormon . But even the Utah legislature finally realized
I eventually, as Doug had mentioned, signed a letter of intent to play at BYU. But before enrolling at BYU, I decided to go on a Mormon mission. I received an assignment to go to New York City.
If we're in Utah, I don't want to see Mormon stories.
I choose my details with care." That was the prologue from my memoir, "The Accidental Terrorist-- Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary." The book tells a story of how as a 19 year old Mormon missionary in Canada I came to be arrested and convicted for felony mischief. Before I talk a little bit about how the book came to be written and published and read a couple
I mean, they were despite the black name tags really just a bunch of teenage boys with all that implies. Myself-- I was something of a sheltered kid up to that point having grown up in Utah in a large Mormon family, but I was also a budding science fiction writer.
And you talk about what the Mormon community has done to prepare for some scenario like this. Yeah, I spent three days in Salt Lake City talking to the leadership of the Mormon Church. And then they arranged for me to be shown around to make me aware of the preparations
And to keep that trucking company going, they have got reserves of 250,000 gallons of diesel fuel. They are ready. I am not saying that what the Mormon Church has done can be duplicated by other organizations around the United States, but there are some things they have done that can be.
However, for example, the Mormon church has one of the more famous examples.
All writers and readers knew that human beings had broad identities, not narrow ones. And that seems to me to be-- I mean, sorry to be defending the Mormon church, but that seems like a grown up response.
So actually, the reason why religious people tend to rate as happier than other people is because they have such a strong sense of community, generally. And when I went to spend time with Mormons in Utah that was a huge finding. I was staying with a Mormon family and we were sitting there for half an hour in their living room.
all these well it's like perfect Americana and I think I realized oh my god it's all Mormons you know I'm totally screwed my head half my no
Actually, yes That's a really good place to recruit translators because the Mormons tend to go on missions and they learn languages usually at a pretty young age.
where they took all the kids out of the out of the uh compound of the Mormons because they thought, you know, all